A breath of fresh air

So don those wellies. Get up. Get out. And get some air. As a family, we very rarely stay home during the weekends. There’s always some sort of activity going on, a day trip here or there, kids birthday party, visiting family members… it can get quite manic.

but after a week of work, school runs & general household life, it’s good to just break free and go for a stroll. Get back to basics and wander where the WiFi is weak.

Some of our favourite places to visit for gentle strolls, bike rides & peacefulness are great for letting the kids run free and burn some of that energy off. Let’s face it, sometimes the play centres / wacky warehouses just aren’t going to cut it. They need the outside. To feel the elements…. not forgetting the peaceful drive home us parents get after they’ve worn themselves out! Awesome, right! A few moments of blissfulness, aaaahhh! So here are three of our favourite, local-ish walks.

Trentham Gardens

(Postcode : ST4 8JG) One of our favourite family places. We love it that much, we purchased an annual family pass!

Take a gentle stroll around the lake, find the hidden fairies along the way and check out the woodland artwork, don’t forget to try and spot a monkey hidding in the trees by the monkey forest too! Catch the little train, take a boat trip, enjoy the gardens or simply grab a coffee by the lake and let the kids run free on the balancing park.

In the summertime we like to take a picnic, a few drinks and enjoy one of the many live summer concerts! You can find out more at Trentham gardens.

Carsington Waters

Carsington Water (postcode : DE6 1ST) is a reservoir operated by Severn Trent Water in Derbyshire, England. But that’s needless to say it’s boring!

Carsington Water has everything you need for a great day out – and best of all most facilities are free!

There’s lots do do, from walking the lake, playing on the children’s park to kayaking, cycling, sailing, cycling, sports, fishing, shopping, discovery centre or even just grabbing an ice cream and taking in the views. A firm favourite with us! Carsington water

Stepping Stones, Derby

(Postcode : DE21 6AH) Dovedale is known for the River Dove and it’s impressive limestone ravines, but the most iconic part of a trip to Dovedale has to be the picturesque stepping stones!

Wet suits and wellies are a must for this little outing … not that you get wet, unless you fall in the water, but saves your clothes from getting muddy. There is also a paved path you can stick to, to get to the stepping stones.

The children ( & us!) enjoy jumping through the muddy puddles, heading across the stepping stones and along the nature trail to the ‘wishing-tree’, about 500 yards from the stepping stones you will come across part of an old tree. Nothing unusual in that, but if you look closer you can find hundreds of coins which have been embedded in it over the years by people visiting this famous tourist spot.

Legend has it that if a sick person hammers a coin into the tree they will get better and also have good luck, however do not be tempted to remove any coins as their illness can be transferred to you and you will also experience bad luck, you have been duly warned!

So take a coin, grab a stone and get hammering!

Get up and go! Don’t let life get you down. Fresh air and a good walk will do wonders for you and your health… just think of all those extra steps you’ll be getting, without even noticing! Go on. What have you got to lose?